Two 6 MW wind turbines arrive at Gunfleet Sands

Siemens turbines will undergo performance and reliability tests at offshore wind farm

Dong Energy has successfully installed two giant Siemens turbines at the Gunfleet Sands wind farm, as part of a demonstration project which aims to lower the costs of renewable energy.

The company will be testing the turbines' performance, reliability and functionality. 

About the 6 MW turbines

• The turbines are equipped with the world's longest rotor blades. Each blade is approximately 75 metres long and the rotor diameter is 154 metres.
• They are based on the Siemens gearless drive concept.
• The central component is approximately 15 metres long and has a diameter of 6.5 meres.
• The turbines have fewer components and a smaller number of parts than other turbines which means the weight, as well as service costs, are reduced.
• Each turbine is capable of producing 25 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity in offshore locations, enough to supply 6,000 households.

The Gunfleet Sands 3 demonstration project marks an important step in the industry's efforts to reduce the cost of wind power.

The project is expected to be fully operational in Spring 2013.

Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm is located 8.5 km off the coast of Clacton-on-Sea. The 172 MW wind farm has 48 functional Siemens turbines, each of 3.6 MW capacity.